LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Western North Carolina Air Quality Awareness Program

The NC Division of Air Quality in Western North Carolina offers free programs in schools on a variety of air quality topics.

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The North Carolina Division of Air Quality is pleased to offer educational programs in Western North Carolina. The programs are free and flexible, and they will come to your classrooms, environmental field days, career days, health fairs, and public events. Programs can cover a wide variety of air quality topics and age appropriate solutions to our air quality problems.

The classes and programs are mind-active hands-on learning opportunities for students and linked to the NC Standard Course of Study. The programs are always free, and they will travel to your school or site (in a hybrid vehicle). Teaching students what they can do to help improve the air we breathe is just one of the ways that the Division of Air Quality is working for the people of North Carolina.

The Division offers three basic programs:

Air Is All Around Us: grades two – five
“Air Is All Around Us” focuses on the properties of air and how it is used by our bodies and society. Students will participate in hands on participation and demonstrations. If the weather cooperates, students will also get to use solar power cars in an experiment about energy technology.
Driving Choices: Middle School – High School
“Driving Choices” focuses on air pollution and its effect on our health and the health of the environment. The students will work with molecule models, participate in demonstrations, and learn how individual actions affect the quality of our air. The class will also participate in experiments conducted with a hybrid vehicle to illustrate the effect of transportation choices.
Energy Efficiency: Upper Elementary – Middle School
Electricity makes our society function, but at a financial and environmental cost. This program will examine electricity generation and highlight the air quality connections. Students will learn about basic efficiency actions that save money and prevent air pollution, use working solar panels, a mini wind turbine, and other tools to learn about renewable electricity generation.

The basic programs can be adapted to best fit your student’s needs. In addition to learning solutions, the program can be modified to go into great detail about a wide variety of air quality subjects, including: ingredients in the air, sources of air pollution, ground level ozone, particle pollution, visibility, climate change, basic air chemistry and combustion, acid deposition, the air pollution and water quality connections, mercury, lead and other toxics, weather, and other air quality issues.

For more information, please contact Keith Bamberger at 828-296-4500 or keith.bamberger@ncdenr.gov.